Lexington-Fayette, KY

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

Add Comparison

2023 Population

517,378

0.276% 1-year growth

US Senator

Mitch McConnell

Republican Party

US Senator

Rand Paul

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

36.6

0.274% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

14%

2.11% 1-year increase

2023 Median Household Income

$70,717

3.86% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$258,900

8.64% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

263,041

0.12% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Lexington-Fayette, KY had a population of 517k people with a median age of 36.6 and a median household income of $70,717. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Lexington-Fayette, KY grew from 515,954 to 517,378, a 0.276% increase and its median household income grew from $68,089 to $70,717, a 3.86% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Lexington-Fayette, KY are White (Non-Hispanic) (74.6%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (10.5%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (3.86%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (2.93%), and Two+ (Hispanic) (2.85%).

None of the households in Lexington-Fayette, KY reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

94.9% of the residents in Lexington-Fayette, KY are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Lexington-Fayette, KY are University of Kentucky (9,834 degrees awarded in 2023), Bluegrass Community and Technical College (4,808 degrees), and Frontier Nursing University (960 degrees).

In 2023, the median property value in Lexington-Fayette, KY was $258,900, and the homeownership rate was 59.6%.

Most people in Lexington-Fayette, KY drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 21.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Lexington-Fayette, KY was 2 cars per household.

Lexington-Fayette, KY borders Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN, Frankfort, KY, Mount Sterling, KY, and Richmond-Berea, KY.

About the photo: Bluegrass Fair in Lexington, KY

Photo by Anthony

United States Kentucky

Population & Diversity

Lexington-Fayette, KY is home to a population of 517k people, from which 94.9% are citizens. As of 2023, 8.08% of Lexington-Fayette, KY residents were born outside of the country (41.8k people).

In 2023, there were 7.1 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (386k people) in Lexington-Fayette, KY than any other race or ethnicity. There were 54.4k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 20k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

94.9%

2023 Citizenship

95.2%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 94.9% of Lexington-Fayette, KY residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Lexington-Fayette, KY was 95.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Lexington-Fayette, KY compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Lexington-Fayette, KY

White (Non-Hispanic)
386k ± 475
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
54.4k ± 1.37k
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
20k ± 1.5k

7.78%

Hispanic Population

40.2k people

7.78% of the people in Lexington-Fayette, KY are hispanic (40.2k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Lexington-Fayette, KY as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA level, so we are showing data for Kentucky.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
28,651 ± 4,142 people
Cuba
14,970 ± 2,999 people
India
12,312 ± 2,720 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Kentucky was Mexico, the natal country of 28,651 Kentucky residents, followed by Cuba with 14,970 and India with 12,312.

Foreign-Born Population

8.08%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

41.8k people

7.49%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

38.6k people

As of 2023, 8.08% of Lexington-Fayette, KY residents (41.8k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Lexington-Fayette, KY was 7.49%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Lexington-Fayette, KY compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
7,321 ± 583
Gulf War (2001-)
5,538 ± 609
Gulf War (1990s)
3,702 ± 485

Lexington-Fayette, KY has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.32 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Lexington-Fayette, KY employs 263k people. The largest industries in Lexington-Fayette, KY are Health Care & Social Assistance (39,868 people), Educational Services (32,677 people), and Retail Trade (31,452 people), and the highest paying industries are Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($105,536), Utilities ($78,452), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($67,315).

Males in Kentucky have an average income that is 1.32 times higher than the average income of females, which is $52,220. The income inequality in Kentucky (measured using the Gini index) is 0.452, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

263k

2023 Value

± 4,305

−0.12%

1 Year decline

± 2.27%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Lexington-Fayette, KY declined at a rate of −0.12%, from 263k employees to 263k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Lexington-Fayette, KY, are Management Occupations (29,202 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (29,097 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (24,837 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Lexington-Fayette, KY.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Kentucky (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

View Full Dashboard

Industries

Employment by Industries

263k

2023 Value

± 4,305

−0.12%

1 Year decline

± 2.27%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Lexington-Fayette, KY declined at a rate of −0.12%, from 263k employees to 263k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Lexington-Fayette, KY, are Health Care & Social Assistance (39,868 people), Educational Services (32,677 people), and Retail Trade (31,452 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Lexington-Fayette, KY, though some of these residents may live in Lexington-Fayette, KY and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$51,614

Median earning men ± $1,332

$37,479

Median earning women ± $889

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($70,504), Manufacturing ($67,116), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($59,390).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($50,716), Public Administration ($48,893), and Manufacturing ($47,166).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Kentucky.

Y-Axis

2.51%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 1.98M people employed in Kentucky. This represents a 2.51% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 14.4%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Kentucky.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

1,055
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
922
Health Care and Social Assistance
787
Other Services (except Public Administration)

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$2.68M
Health Care and Social Assistance
$1.92M
Manufacturing
$1.21M
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Kentucky went to Donald J. Trump with 64.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (33.9%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.808%).

Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul are the senators currently representing the state of Kentucky. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Kentucky is currently represented by 6 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Lexington-Fayette, KY. Showing the available data for Kentucky.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (64.5%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (33.9%)
Democratic Party
Robert Kennedy (0.808%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Kentucky went to Donald J. Trump with 64.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (33.9%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.808%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Kentucky for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Kentucky

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Kentucky.

Mitch McConnell

Senator from Kentucky

Assumed office on January 3, 1985

Rand Paul

Senator from Kentucky

Assumed office on January 3, 2011

Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul are the senators currently representing Kentucky.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Kentucky over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Kentucky

Kentucky is currently represented by 6 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Kentucky have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2023, universities in Lexington-Fayette, KY awarded 17,658 degrees. The student population of Lexington-Fayette, KY in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 21,945 male students and 33,721 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Lexington-Fayette, KY are White (13,226 and 76.9%), followed by Black or African American (1,349 and 7.84%), Hispanic or Latino (1,000 and 5.81%), and Two or More Races (570 and 3.31%).

The largest universities in Lexington-Fayette, KY by number of degrees awarded are University of Kentucky (9,834 and 55.7%), Bluegrass Community and Technical College (4,808 and 27.2%), and Frontier Nursing University (960 and 5.44%).

The most popular majors in Lexington-Fayette, KY are Social Work (1,058 and 5.99%), Liberal Arts & Sciences (767 and 4.34%), and General Business (639 and 3.62%).

The median tuition costs in Lexington-Fayette, KY are $37,046 for private four year colleges, and $11,849 and $32,043 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Lexington-Fayette, KY, the percentage of applicants admitted was 89.8%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 24.5%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 55,666 (39.4% men and 60.6% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 55,666 students enrolled in Lexington-Fayette, KY, 39.4% men and 60.6% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 39,715 records, of which 61.2% were women and 38.8% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business
502 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
406 degrees awarded
General Marketing & Marketing Management
401 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Lexington-Fayette, KY was General Business with 502 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Lexington-Fayette, KY according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

University of Kentucky
9,834 degrees awarded
Bluegrass Community and Technical College
4,808 degrees awarded
Frontier Nursing University
960 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Kentucky with 9,834 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 7,258 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Lexington-Fayette, KY, which is 0.698 times less than the 10,400 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 13,226 degrees mean that there were 9.8 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 1,349 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($37,046) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,363) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,225) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Kentucky.

Measure

In 2022, 0.821% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.756% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Kentucky.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (1.17M), Some college (766k), and Secondary Education (551k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Lexington-Fayette, KY was $258,900 in 2023, which is 0.853 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $238,300 to $258,900, a 8.64% increase. The homeownership rate in Lexington-Fayette, KY is 59.6%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Lexington-Fayette, KY have an average commute time of 21.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Lexington-Fayette, KY is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Lexington-Fayette, KY is $70,717. In 2023, the county with the highest Median Household Income in Lexington-Fayette, KY was Oldham County, KY with a value of $121,491, followed by Spencer County, KY and Boone County, KY, with respective values of $98,333 and $94,752.

Housing

Property

$258,900

Median Property Value 2023

±$4,047

$127,078

Median Property Taxes

±$2,303

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Lexington-Fayette, KY the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Lexington-Fayette, KY compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

59.6%

Homeownership

2023

67.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 59.6% of the housing units in Lexington-Fayette, KY were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 60.1%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Lexington-Fayette, KY compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

In 2023, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Lexington-Fayette, KY was Oldham County, KY with a value of $121,491, followed by Spencer County, KY and Boone County, KY, with respective values of $98,333 and $94,752.

The following map shows all of the counties in Lexington-Fayette, KY colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$70,717

Median Household Income

± $1,236

213k

Number of Households

± 3,526

In 2023, the median household income of the 213k households in Lexington-Fayette, KY grew to $70,717 from the previous year's value of $68,089.

The following chart displays the households in Lexington-Fayette, KY distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Lexington-Fayette, KY is from Kentucky.

0.452

2022 Wage GINI in Kentucky

0.453

2021 Wage GINI in Kentucky

In 2022, the income inequality in Kentucky was 0.452 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.286% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Kentucky was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Kentucky in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Kentucky across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (76.1%)
Worked At Home (10.7%)
Carpooled (8.63%)

In 2023, 76.1% of workers in Lexington-Fayette, KY drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (10.7%) and those who carpooled to work (8.63%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

21.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Lexington-Fayette, KY have a shorter commute time (21.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 1.82% of the workforce in Lexington-Fayette, KY have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Lexington-Fayette, KY compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Lexington-Fayette, KY distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Lexington-Fayette, KY have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

14% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Lexington-Fayette, KY (70k out of 501k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Lexington-Fayette, KY is White, followed by Black and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

93.9% of the population of Lexington-Fayette, KY has health coverage, with 51.8% on employee plans, 18% on Medicaid, 11.3% on Medicare, 11.5% on non-group plans, and 1.24% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Kentucky see 1551 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.977% increase from the previous year (1536 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1512 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 365 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Kentucky.

1,551 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Kentucky

Primary care physicians in Kentucky see an average of 1,551 patients per year. This represents a 0.977% increase from the previous year (1,536 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Kentucky in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.8% under 18 years, 24.4% between 18 and 34 years, 36.9% between 35 and 64 years, and 14.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.1% were men and 51.9% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

6.07%

Uninsured

51.8%

Employer Coverage

18%

Medicaid

11.3%

Medicare

11.5%

Non-Group

1.24%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Lexington-Fayette, KY grew by 0.864% from 6.02% to 6.07%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Lexington-Fayette, KY changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Keep Exploring